Posture bookrest



Se t. 22, 1925.,

-J. A. DUG AN POSTURE BOOKREST Filed May 13. 1924 0 1 \WJ 0 4 1 -1 4 W w 1 a 1 w m i a A TTORNE YS Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMES A. DUGAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; MARIE ROWE DUGAN EXECUTRIX OF THE SAID JAMES A. DUGAN, DECEASED.

POSTURE BOOKREST.

Application filed May 13, 1924. Serial" No. 712,934. mi

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMES A. DUGAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Posture Bookrest, of which the fol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved book rest more especially designed for use on desks, tables and other supports and arranged to readily carry a book or the like in open position and without requiring the reader to assume an undesirable stooping position and to readily accommodate small and large books, sheet music or the like.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of a plate of sheet metal or other sheet material inclined upwardly and rearwardly and provided at the lower end with an integral flat base formed of side sections and a middle section, of which the side sections extend forward for supporting a book and terminate in upwardly extending retaining flanges for holding the book in open position, the said middle section extending rearwardly for supporting the 30 plate in an inclined position. Use is also made of an extension rack formed by an inverted U-shaped bar, having its side members slidably engaging a rearwardly extending flange at the upper end of the plate, the saidside members of the bar being notched for engagement by the free ends of a spring attached at its middle to the under side of the said top flange to limit the upward sliding movement of the rack.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the book rest as applied.

Figure 2 isa front elevation of the book rest.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 4; is a side elevation of the same, and

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

The book rest is preferably made of a single piece of sheet metal or other material formed to provide an upwardly and rearwardly inclined plate 1 having an integral base formed of two side sections 4 and a middle section 3, of which the side sections 4- extend forwardly and are ada ted to support a book or the like. The m1ddle section 3 extends rearwardly and thus holds the plate 1 from toppling over in a rearward direction when a book is placed in position at the front thereof, as plainly indicated in Figure 1. The forward ends of the side sections 4 of the base terminate in upwardly extending flanges 2 adapted to overlie the pages of the book so as to hold the latter in open position, as will be readily understood by reference to Figure 1. The under surfaces of the base sections 2 are provided with a felt or other covering 5 and a similar covering 6 is arranged on the under surface of the middle section 3 so that the book rest does not mar the polished surface of a table or other support on which the book rest is used. 7

The plate 1 is provided with an extension rack 7 preferably in the form of an inverted U-shaped bar having its side members 8 slidably engaging apertures in a top flange 9 ex tending integrally and in a rearward direction from the upper end of the plate 1. The side members 8 are provided near their lower ends with oppositely disposed notches 11 adapted to be engaged by cut-out terminals 12 of a spring 10 secured at its middle to the under side of the top flange 9. It will be noticed that by the arrangement described, the rack 7 can be readily pushed downward into folded position, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and when it is desired to extend the rack 7, the user simply pulls the same upward until the free ends 12 of the spring 10 en age the notches 11 and thus hold the rack T against further upward movement and at the same time hold the rack 7 against accidental downward movement. It will be noticed that when the rack 7 is in its extended position, the book rest can readily accommodate a very large book.

The book rest shown and described is very simple and durable .in construction and is more particularly designed for the use of children and adults, in schools, libraries, offlees and homes and by the use of the book rest the book, magazine, paper, sheet of music or the like i held in proper position before the eyes of the user, thus enabling the latter to read with the greatest comfort and to write and draw with the utmost ease.

What I claim is:

1. Abo'ok rest, comprisinga plate of sheet material inclined upwardly and rearwardly, an integral flat base at the lower edge of the plate and formed of side sections and a mid dle section, of which the side sections extend forward for supporting a book and terminate inupwardly extending retaining flanges for-holding the book in open position, and the said middle section extends rearwardly for supporting the plate in inclined position, aitop flange extending integrally from the upper end of the saidplate in a rearward direction, an inverted U-shaped extensionb-ar havin'gits sidemembers mounted to slide up and down on the said top flange, the said sidemembers having notches, and a spring attached" at its-middleto the-said top flange and having its free ends engaging the said side members and-the notches thereof to hold the extension bar in extended position.

2. A book rest, comprising a plate of sheet material inclined upwardly and rearwardly, a base extending from said plate at the lower edge thereof and formed of side sections and a middle section, of which the side sections extend forwardly for supporting a book, the ends of said side sections terminating in upwardly extending retaining flanges for holding'the book in open position and the said middle section extending rearwardly for supporting'the plate in inclined osition, an apertured top flange extending rom the upper end of said plate in a'rearward direction, and an inverted U-shaped'bar having its side members mounted to slide up and down in said top flange.

J AM-ES A. DUGAN. 

